Police launch investigation after protests turn violent at Portsmouth migrant landing

Police in Portsmouth are conducting an investigation to identify individuals involved in a protest that escalated into violence on Sunday night. Officers reported injuries, though none were serious, and several vehicles were damaged after demonstrators blocked traffic near the Eastney Marina ferry terminal where 120 migrants were brought ashore.

Around 200 protesters, some wearing masks, confronted officers in riot gear after the arrival of the migrants, prompting a dispersal order that authorises arrests for non-compliance. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said no arrests have been made yet, but the inquiry will focus on assaults, criminal damage and other offences.

Policing Minister Sarah Jones told the House of Commons that the disorder was “intimidating and thuggish” and warned that anyone who crosses into illegality “will face the full force of the law.” She added that peaceful protest is a democratic right but must not interfere with the daily lives of other citizens.

Spencer Wragg, chair of the Hampshire Police Federation, said he had seen footage of officers being pushed off motorbikes and police vehicles damaged, indicating that law enforcement became a target during the unrest.

The migrants were later transported out of Hampshire for processing by Border Force. In the Commons, shadow home secretary Chris Philp condemned the violence and called for a broader government response to public anger over illegal immigration, while Labour MP Amanda Martin described the new crossing route as “deeply worrying” for her constituency.

Home Office data show that 625 migrants arrived on eight boats at Dover and Portsmouth on Sunday, part of a total of 16,513 small-boat arrivals in the year to 1 September, a 43 % decline from the previous year.